new jeksey



UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oFFicE.

JOS. WOOD, OF' JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF EXCLUDING- DUST FROM RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification o'f Letters Patent No.

To all whom "it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VVooD, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Device for Preventing Dust from Entering Railroad-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to t-he annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a transverse vertical section of a rail road car, with my improvement applied to it, the plane of section being through the center. Fig. 2, is a side view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The nature of my invention consists in attaching to each side of the platform or bottom of the car a slatted frame, the slats being in a vertical position and capable of being turned either to the right or left according to the direction in which the car is going. The lower edges of the slatted frames extend downward nearly to the upper surface of the track, and prevent the escape of dust from underneath the cars as will be presently shown and described.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a rail road car, B, is the bottom or platform of the car. To each side of the bottom or platform B, there is attached by hinges (a) a rectangular frame C. The lower ends of these frames extend downward nearly to the upper surface of the track or rails and the length of the frames is kequal to the length of the car. Within the frames C, there are attached vertical slats These slats are secured in the frames by pivots (c) which are at the centers of the ends of the slats and are fitted loosely in the inner sides of the top and bottom pieces of the frames. The slats are allowed to turn in the frames and they are connected by rods (el) similar to the slats of ordinary window blinds. The slats (In) are turned by hand so that the spaces between them will face the direction in which the car is moving and allow currents of air to pass between the slats. The spaces between the cars of a train are inclosed in any 14,331, dated February 26, 1856.

proper manner-either by elastic curtains or otherwise so that the dust cannot escape upward between the cars.

The immense quantities of dust that is raised by a train of cars is owing to a vacuum formed underneath them by their rapid motion, and the surrounding air pass ing underneath the cars to restore an equilibrium causes the dust to rise. provement currents of air are forced between the slats as the cars pass along so as to form equal currents at each side of the cars, and the equilibrium is restored without allowing the dust to escape from underneath the cars, the dust of course being prevented from passing outward between the slats on account of the opposing currents which pass between the slats underneath the cars.

I am aware that close side pieces have been attached to the bottoms of cars, and also pieces of canvass have been attached for effecting the same object as my improvement, but these devices were not effectual as they merely partially inclosed the dust, there was no provision made to restore the equilibrium by the admission of air underneath the cars. The object solely of the close sides were to confine the dust, which cannot in that way be effectually done. My improvement not only confines the dust but in a measure prevents its rising by restoring the equilibrium in consequence of the currents of air passing between the slats, the currents of air also preventing the dust that may rise from passing out between the slats. The currents of air above mentioned will also carry all dust that may rise on the outer sides of the cars or the frames through the slats underneath the cars, thereby effectually preventing any dust from passing into the cars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The employment or use of the slatted frames C, attached to the sides of the bottom or platforms of the cars, substantially as shown for the purpose specified.

JosEPH woon.

Witnesses Y Jos. GEO. MASON, WM. TUsoH.

By my im- 

